posted 09-06-2005 06:40 PM
There is an article in the latest Universal Ship Cancellation Society (USCS) Log about a new website on Beck covers. Morris Beck produced high quality cachets from the 1940's into the '70's, and most notably for us, a bunch of cachets for the recovery ships in Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo. Beck made the rubber stamps used for the "Navy Cachet" recovery ship covers, then made a more refined, printed version of the artwork for his covers.

This excellent site is put together by Owen Murray, a USCS and Space Unit member. It lists some different information than the Winick monograph on Beck Cachets including photos, listings of unnumbered Becks, and more. Mr. Murray is also keeping this a living site, so if you have new info you can submit it to him to put on the website.

Enjoy.Dennis Dillman

Apollo-SoyuzMember

Posts: 868From: Shady Side, MdRegistered: Sep 2004

posted 09-06-2005 09:53 PM
Everybody who collects Morris Beck covers now has a website with much information about Morris Beck and the covers he produced. The Space Unit has for sale 2 CD's titled: Suspect Cover Handbook and Apollo cover catalog. The Suspect Cover CD is a compilation of any and all information on suspect and fake space covers. Included is an account of the Charles Riser affair. The Apollo CD is a compilation of covers serviced for the Apollo moon missions. Both CD's are a must for the space collector. The CD's are $15 each plus postage.

------------------John MaccoVice PresidentSpace UnitShady Side, Md.

DOX32Member

Posts: 203From: Fairfax, VA USARegistered: Jul 2004

posted 09-09-2005 04:06 PM
What a fantastic web site on Beck cancels! The link to USCS is also very useful! Thank you very much for sharing it.

Does anyone know of a site for Skylab and ASTP covers?

Woody

spaceman1953Member

Posts: 933From: South Bend, IN United States of AmericaRegistered: Apr 2002

posted 09-09-2005 06:02 PM
WOW! We owe a DEEP debt of gratitude to yet another collector...

THANKS!Gene Bella

DOX32Member

Posts: 203From: Fairfax, VA USARegistered: Jul 2004

posted 02-12-2009 12:10 AM
Anybody know what happen to the Owen Murray website? Looks like the domain name registration lapsed.

Woody

RossMember

Posts: 373From: AustraliaRegistered: Jul 2003

posted 02-12-2009 05:57 AM
I also noticed that and emailed Owen a week ago. So far no reply.

Ross.

DOX32Member

Posts: 203From: Fairfax, VA USARegistered: Jul 2004

posted 02-12-2009 02:00 PM
Ross,

The link from your web site also puts you back to default page for unregistered web sites.

His web site is such a useful resource. Maybe he switched web site. Particularly his scans of various covers.

I just got a large batch of Mercury and Gemini recovery covers I want to check for postmarks, rubber stamps cachet differences , etc.

Can hardly wait for Steve Durst's Books!!!

Woody

RossMember

Posts: 373From: AustraliaRegistered: Jul 2003

posted 02-13-2009 06:43 AM
Hello Woody,

I'm envious of your 'large batch of Mercury and Gemini recovery covers'. If they are non-Beck covers you could check them against my site (for beck covers I just list the standard covers), at least for the Gemini covers. I'm still working on the Mercury section of my site. But I have, at least, listed all the ships that were involved in each of the Mercury missions and all known covers including ships that were not involved. Makes quite a list of MA-7 to MA-9. I'd appreciate you letting me know if you find a cover from a ship I haven't listed.

The link on my site sends you back to a default page for unregistered web sites, which means Owen has let his registration lapse. Hopefully he is moving his site to a new ISP. However,in the past, he has always responded to my emails within a couple of days. It's been over a week now so I'm wondering if there is some more serious problem.

Ross.

RossMember

Posts: 373From: AustraliaRegistered: Jul 2003

posted 02-16-2009 06:25 AM
I've just heard from Owen. He was out of the country for a couple of weeks and his hosting company failed to renew his domain name. He hopes to have this resolved in the next few days.

Ross

RossMember

Posts: 373From: AustraliaRegistered: Jul 2003

posted 02-16-2009 09:55 AM
Just checked. Owen's site is now up and running.